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Technical high schools report $13 million deficiency driven in part by rising special‑education costs and staffing pressures
Summary
The Connecticut Technical Education and Career System told Appropriations it faces about $13 million in deficiencies — roughly $11 million in 'other' costs — driven chiefly by unbudgeted special‑education services, facilities and fixed cost increases; leaders also described rising special‑education enrollment and difficulty recruiting trade‑cert
Interim CTECS executive director Alice Pritchard told the Appropriations subcommittee the state technical high school system has more than 11,000 high‑school students across 17 campuses and more than 3,000 adult students in apprenticeships and training programs, and that the agency is seeking supplemental funds to cover a roughly $13 million deficiency.
Pritchard and school leaders said most of the shortfall stems from unbudgeted special‑education costs, fixed‑cost increases and the end of ARPA support. Pritchard estimated a roughly $6 million portion of the deficiency is related to special‑education services that were not anticipated in the current budget.
The system’s special‑education population has risen markedly: officials said the number of students with individualized education programs was about 1,000 in 2017 and was approximately 1,942 at the time of testimony. CTECS officials said that the district has about 1,609 full‑time staff on payroll compared with a prior authorized headcount of about 1,539, reflecting hires needed to support instruction and special‑education services.
Pritchard said some services are contracted; she identified a long‑standing contract with CREC to supply clinical and behavioral supports and noted the CREC relationship was likely to cost about $6 million in the current year. Committee members asked for a multi‑year breakdown of contracts and special‑education spending back to 2017.
Lawmakers and CTECS staff also discussed admissions and program quality. Pritchard described a lottery system used for student placement this year after earlier merit‑ and needs‑based approaches raised equity and placement concerns; she said the system received more than 6,000 applications for fewer than 3,000 open seats and that acceptance rates among lottery winners were high.
Committee members pressed CTECS about teacher recruitment in skilled trades, noting many prospective instructors remain in industry where pay can be higher. Senators and representatives asked whether temporary hires or industry partnerships could be used to deliver instruction while training and retention strategies are developed.
CTECS officials asked the committee to review the headcount and deficiency line items and to consider funding adjustments that reflect the system’s staffing and special‑education workload.
